The Blair and Maka chronicles
by The masked author1
Summary: Renamed due to new material. This is going to be a collection of unrelated ficlets regarding the  platonic  interactions between Maka and Blair. Possible OOCness ahead. Read and review please.
1. Late night talk

Late at Night

Standard disclaimer: I don't own anything contained within this story. I don't own "Soul Eater" or the characters, but I do lay claim to the basic plot.

You would think that saving the world from the threat of eternal madness and overwhelming insanity would earn you some sort of perks, some special privileges with regard to how things were done everyday or something like that. But for Maka Albarn such was not the case. She was the one who had become famous for defeating the Kishin Asura with a single punch to the face and bringing an end of his attempted spread of eternal insanity across the entire world. She had done what Shinigami-sama himself was unable to do 800 years ago.

And in response to this amazing feat where was she now? Sitting at the desk in her room and studying over a textbook, doing some last minute cramming for a test that was coming up tomorrow. One would think that doing such an amazing feat would earn some benefits like not having to take stupid tests anymore and stuff like that.

Well that's how Soul put it anyway when he'd first heard about the test; expecting their popularity to excuse them from their assigned duties and responsibilities. As far as she was concerned it was no big deal. She actually enjoyed tests unlike most people and had no problem with studying for an exam. And she would be damned if Kishin-Slaying Albarn -to her surprise it was Black Star who had dubbed her with such a nickname- got less than a perfect score in the first exam since Asura's defeat.

Besides that it wasn't like Asura was a unique occurrence in the world. Anyone who craved power and would willingly seek out the souls of the innocent to attain it would eventually become a Kishin if left to their own devices; those were the kind of people they were sent on assignment to stop.

She yawned as she looked up from her book and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 2:01 AM and she was still up studying over the material. Soul had likely gone to bed by now, the slacker. As geared up as she was for returning to some sense of normality with exams and other school work, she was really tired right now and sleep did sound appealing.

"Just a little bit longer," she said to herself in an effort to will her body to stop being tired long enough to get in a little more studying.

* * *

><p>Blair usually didn't stay out this late at night. Normally she would've returned home by midnight at the latest. But the clientele of the Chupa Cabra cabaret house had been so interesting and so much fun that she had completely lost track of time. Well that and the fact that they were big tippers when they were particularly drunk was good reason to hang around just a little while longer. That always made it so much easier to buy a new wardrobe if she wanted.<p>

But not tonight, it was way too late for her. So she made her way back to Maka and Soul's apartment, unlocked the door with her magic and slipped into the living room without so much as a peep. She stretched and put her newly filled wallet on the table next to the door, ready to turn in for some well deserved shut eye. She turned back into her cat-self, hopped up on the sofa and curled up into a nice cozy ball for sleep.

That would have been that, if it weren't for the fact that there was a light in the hallway. Normally that wouldn't be anything particularly interesting, but it was way too late for anyone to be up; and being a cat she was curious by nature. So she climbed down off the sofa and made her way to the source of the light, finding it to be Maka's bedroom.

"Nyah?" she purred as she poked her head in through the partially opened door, "Maka?"

Once she was in she saw Maka at her desk, using her arms for a pillow on top of one of her text books, just utterly passed out from exhaustion and way too much studying as far as she was concerned. She couldn't really just leave things as they were, Maka would have a terrible pain in her neck if she stayed like that all night.

"Maka, Maka," she said as she hopped up onto the desk and shrugged the girl's shoulder with her paw but getting no response. So she shrugged more until finally there was a response from the sleeping girl, "morning sleepy head," she greeted.

"Morning Blair," Maka mumbled as she tried to wake up and get around. Wait a minute, morning? What time was it? Looking up through bleary eyes she saw it was 3:13 in the morning. When did she fall asleep?

"Studying hard again?"

It was far more of a rhetorical question than one of genuine inquiry, she knew full well that Maka was always studying hard, either for an exam or just in general.

"Big test tomorrow," she mumbled again as she sat up and stretched. Even she knew it was time to call it a night if she were falling asleep at her desk.

Blair didn't say anything in response, rather she just waited to see if Maka would make it to her bed or not. In the meantime though she looked at the pictures that were pinned up on the wall. Most of them were of Maka and her friends, either individually or in a group. There was her and Soul -obviously- Kidd, Black Star, Crona, even Shinigami-sama giving his peace sign. And then she came to one at the end she didn't recognize. While she hadn't made an effort to familiarize herself with everyone Maka knew, she knew that she didn't know who this woman was.

"Maka who's in this picture?" she asked curiously.

"Hm?" Maka asked, still groggy and slow to respond. Finally though she could get an answer out, "oh. That's Mama."

"She's pretty."

"Mmhmm."

"What's she like?" Blair asked, now curious about Maka's mother.

"She's very nice. Very sweet and understanding; she had to be to put up with Papa for so long," Maka explained, frowning at the last bit, "very kind too. Growing up she was always ready when somebody needed a hug for their problems; even if it was Black Star," she continued, a smile taking over, "I really want Crona to meet Mama. She could show Crona what a real mother is like and how kind they could be."

"Do you miss her?" Blair asked, even if it did seem like a dumb question. Maka just nodded in response though.

"Yeah...I know she'll be back someday, but it doesn't mean I miss her any less," she replied with a hint of sadness in her voice.

Blair watched as Maka spoke, watching her expression changed as she spoke. She had never bothered learning how to read people -at least not to the extent that some would- but she knew the girl wanted to see her mother again. Who wouldn't after everything that had been happening?

"Maka, can you close your eyes?" Blair asked.

"Huh? Why?"

"You'll see."

Maka really didn't understand what Blair was up to, but she was way too tired to have an argument with the cat. So to humor her so she could get some sleep she went along and closed her eyes. The next thing she became aware of was the sensation of two arms wrapping around her. She opened her eyes and found herself in the middle of a now human Blair's embrace.

"Blair?" she asked, confused as to what was happening.

"I'm not your mother, and I can't make you miss her any less. But I can be ready with a hug if somebody needs it," she replied as she looked down at the girl she held in her arms.

Maka didn't really understand what Blair was saying to her in this situation at first. It seemed so strange, almost out of character for the cat-witch to show such a level of caring for somebody. However that didn't mean she didn't appreciate the gentle touch. And she knew it was entirely likely that come tomorrow she'd catch the older woman flirting with Soul and making him uncomfortable by strutting around naked or doing something similar for the sheer fun of it. But right now that didn't really matter; right now she was being friendly and considerate. Reaching out she returned the hug, wrapping her arms around Blair's waist and making the decision to enjoy the little piece of comfort being freely offered to her.

"Thanks Blair."

**Author's Notes: Sorry to disappoint anyone hoping for some Maka/Blair yuri, but that wasn't the goal of the story. Going any further with the level and intensity of interaction would've ruined the sweetness I was striving for.**


	2. Sickness

**Sick**

"Go away Soul..."

It was never fun to be sick, everyone knew this from firsthand experience and wished that they didn't. No matter what the illness it was always a miserable experience. This was true even in Death City in Nevada, which for weeks had been in the grips of a mysterious illness.

The Shibusen Sickness -a term coined by Professor Stein after the initial cases had cropped up and the possibility of all similar illnesses being ruled out- while far from lethal, was none the less very miserable and dreaded. Anybody unfortunate enough to catch it was cursed to suffer three miserable days that included high fever, muscle pains, joint aches, physical weakness and bouts of delirium entirely unconnected with said fever. And while nobody knew exactly where the illness had come from the aspect most baffling was how meisters were particularly affected by it; anybody with the ability to effectively project their soul wavelength seemed highly susceptible to its effects.

This was especially true in the case of Maka Albarn. She had the misfortune of being the latest in a long string of victims of the Shibusen Sickness and was currently feeling the full effects of the accursed illness.

She had woken up knowing something was off, something just didn't feel right about today, but she had brushed it off and told herself it was just fatigue from yesterday's mission. She had ignored Soul's concern about how she looked run down -or maybe it was run over, she couldn't remember- and just trudged on with the day, convinced that later in the day she would get into her groove and everything would seem normal, but that never happened. Instead as she dragged herself to school she just felt worse, and worse, and worse, her pace lagging further and further behind Soul.

By the time they had gotten to class she could barely stand and wound up collapsing as they walked toward their assigned seats, the only thing keeping her from tumbling all the way to the ground being Soul in front of her. The details that had come beyond this point were sketchy to her and she couldn't really remember much more than it seeming like a dream. Even listening to Soul recount the the evens that had transpired didn't really make the picture any clearer. But suffice to say they had been sent back to their apartment so she could rest up and recuperate in a more comfortable environment.

It was a sad fact that the Shibusen staff, despite being adept at treating physical injuries and magic-related damage caused by witches, just weren't equipped for viral infections. And with both Jackie and Kim off on assignment trying to locate a target known as the Ripper of Ireland, the only available treatment was lots of rest and a supportive role for the ill. There would be no determined push beyond this obstacle.

Soul was doing is best to take care of her, but a lack of experience with medical care and overall grumpiness caused by her condition just made it all the more difficult and frustrating.

"Go away Soul..."

She had uttered those words what seemed like an eternity ago, and since then had been muttering them to herself in one form or another, corrupted through mumblings. All she wanted was to be left alone right now, not getting touched or prodded or anything else. She didn't care if he had gotten frustrated with her fussiness and left her alone under the pretense of going out to get some groceries, so long as she could rest in peace.

Unfortunately resting in peace was not something she was going to be able to accomplish. The muscle aches made it painful to lay still. The joint aches made it painful to move. The fever left her skin with the sensation of being on fire. And the delirium left her confused and disoriented and basically unable to tell what was going on around her. It was like being in the middle of a desert and an ocean at the same time; the desert made you see things that weren't there when you really wanted them to be, and the ocean meant being stranded and in desperate need of someone or something to hold onto.

How long had Soul been gone? How long had she been laying here? Minutes? Days? Inbetween bouts of feverish burning and seeing things that couldn't possibly be there she experienced brief periods of restless unconsciousness, unable to properly perceive the passage of time. During the rare moments of clarity she was blessed with she would wonder if this is similar to how the Kishin Asura felt during his imprisonment.

She was suddenly alerted to the rather heavenly sensation of something cool being pressed against her burning forehead, but she couldn't tell where it had come from. Finally after what seemed like an eternity she came to realize there was vaguely human shape leaning over her, its hand pressed against the source of coolness. Somebody was here and taking care of her.

"Mmm...Mama?" she asked weakly.

* * *

><p>Blair sighed as she looked down at Maka, her clothes a mess of wrinkles from lying in them, her face flushed and covered with sweat, her breathing weak and labored as she tried to sleep. The poor girl was in absolute misery here all by herself, a generic bottle of ibuprofen and a glass not even half full of water left on her nightstand being all there was for her. What exactly was Soul thinking when he'd left her in a huff?<p>

If she hadn't bumped into Soul in a chance encounter as she was window shopping she never would've found out about all this. He had needed someone to confide in, to tell about what had transpired and his actions, all the time feeling guilty about letting Maka's feverish state actually get to him. Like he himself had said, very uncool.

To his credit though he had enough sense to realize his mistake and asked her to go and check on her while he continued onto the store and got the groceries and whatever else they might be in need of. Taking stock of the situation with the sick mesiter currently on the bed, he had made the correct decision in asking her to look in on her. Fun as Soul was to tease and flirt with -and he was a source of great fun- his bedside manner left a lot to be desired; he hadn't even taken off her tie. She might not have known much about medicine or anything like that, but even she could tell that this wasn't the kind of state to leave anybody in.

"Poor Maka-chan," Blair whispered as she watched the girl restlessly tossing and turning, trying desperately to get comfortable.

She went and retrieved a basin of cold water from the kitchen, as well as a clean washcloth and brought them back to the bedroom. Setting the basin on the nightstand and placed a cool compress on the girl's forehead.

"Mmm...Mama?"

It was a weak utterance but Blair could hear it easily enough. For whatever reason Maka had stirred and was now speaking in her direction, looking on with clouded and tired eyes at her.

"Mama?" Maka asked again.

Whether it was fever-indued delirium, or the lack of ambient light in the darkened room or something else entirely, for better or worse Maka seemed to be addressing her under the mistaken notion that she was her mother. Now what should she do?

"Mama?" she asked again, this time weakly reaching out in her general direction as if to discern whether she was really there are not.

"I'm right here sweetheart," Blair finally spoke up, however she hadn't done so easily. She was sure that there were serious moral and ethical issues to be raised by this course of action, issues that she wasn't qualified to be addressed if she were asked. Was it wrong to address Maka as if she were her mother when she was in such a state? Was there any harm in it? She didn't even know where to begin with answering questions like that. All she knew for certain was that Maka really seemed to want her mother right now. "I'm right here," she said as she brought her hand forward for Maka to make contact with it.

Her hand came in contact with Blair's, her fingers brushing against her knuckles and soft skin, telling her that this person was indeed real and here right now. "Oh mama I missed you," she said, a look of sadness and relief coming over her face as she tried so hard to sit up and reach out weakly in her direction. Blair watched as the sick girl tried so hard to reach up to her, putting so much effort into pushing herself into an upright position to get closer. Finally for her sake she knelt down beside the bed so she could be closer, making it much easier for Maka to actually get her arms around her, weak as her hold might be. "I missed you..." she repeated.

"I know sweetie, I'm sorry I was gone for so long. But I'm here now," Blair replied as she reciprocated the hug, wrapping her arms around the girl's back so she could hold her close, letting her rest her head against her shoulder.

"I feel really bad," she said weakly.

"I know sweetie, I wish I could make you feel better," she told her as she stroked the back of Maka's hair, "just try to rest, I'm here for you now. Sleep if you can," she said as she eased the reluctant girl back down onto the bed again, although it wasn't an easy thing to do; even in her weakened condition she could still hold on tight.

"Are you going to leave again?" Maka asked as she looked up at her, eyes begging her desperately to not go anywhere.

"Leave my child when she's sick? Of course not dear. I'll be here for you," Blair reassured her, "but you need your rest to get better. Close your eyes and try to sleep for mama, okay?"

It was a weak smile that crossed Maka's features, but it was a smile nonetheless. She almost looked relieved in a way at hearing this.

"Okay mama," she replied and slowly closed her eyes. In her mind her mother was here and looking over her when she needed her the most. That gave her reason to smile, reason to feel better. She could try and let her body relax now, knowing that she was here.

* * *

><p>"How's she doing?"<p>

Soul had arrived back at the apartments a while ago, but instead of checking on Maka directly he had left that task to Blair while he went about making dinner. He'd looked up from the cook book and the cutting board when he'd heard the door open to address her.

"Finally resting I guess," Blair replied as she stepped into the kitchen and leaned against the wall, "but the poor girl is utterly miserable."

"Not surprised really," Soul replied as he went back to cutting up a carrot into fine pieces.

"Hey Soul-kun, what is Maka-chan's mother like?"

"Kami-san? Supposedly the most skilled scythe-meister to ever graduate from Shibusen, responsible for Spirit-san being a Death Scythe today," Soul responded.

"I was hoping for something more informative than that. Earlier she thought she was talking to her mother," Blair sighed.

Soul didn't say anything in response. Nothing that would resemble concern for his meister or pity for her condition. He just went back to working on the vegetables, cutting them up for mixing into a stew.

"Just so you know, if Maka realizes that it's you pretending to be her mother she's gonna be _really_ mad about it," he warned her finally.

"I know," Blair replied quietly and left it at that, not bothering to mention the fact that Soul was observant to know what was taking place in Maka's bedroom with the door shut.

"Huh. Hey Blair, lemme ask you a question," Soul said as he turned to face her, "why're you doing this for Maka anyway? You two aren't exactly what would pass for the best of friends."

"I know," Blair replied as she looked down at the floor in thought, "but you don't have to be great friends to show someone compassion."

That wasn't much of an answer to give. He was sure there was an ulterior motive behind it all, if for no other reason than the fact that he'd known Blair for what seemed like forever now.

"I guess I'd better get back in there before she wakes up. Can't have mama disappearing on her now can we?"

"Alright. Good luck, Kami-san," he replied back.

"Thanks Soul-kun," she giggled, flashing him a cattish smile before heading back to Maka's bedroom.

* * *

><p>It hadn't been a long time that Maka was out, certainly not long enough for her to get the rest she really needed. But Blair had plenty of time to get back without being missed. Unfortunately the situation hadn't improved any.<p>

Her skin felt so hot to the touch from this damned fever, it was no wonder Maka was so miserable right now. And being left in all those hot clothes hadn't helped matter any. Blair had already relieved her of her heavy socks, necktie, sweater vest and even unbuttoned her shirt, and was now applying the cold compress to whatever area of exposed skin she could get to in an effort to make her more comfortable. But from the sound of her breathing and the flushed state of her face it was easy to guess the effectiveness was limited.

"It's hot," she said weakly as Blair patted down her legs.

"I know sweetie," Blair replied in a reassuring tone as she re-wetted the cloth to stroke her burning cheeks, "Soul-kun is making soup. Do you feel like eating?" she asked. Maka just weakly shook her head in response, not in the mood for dinner for anything else. "Poor Maka-chan," she said as she stroked her head. Right now she was really wishing her magic could be used for healing purposes. Right now all she wanted to do was hug the girl and make her feel all better, but sadly that was beyond her ability; even hugging her would cause her more pain.

"Do you think you can sleep some more?" she asked, but again Maka just shook her head weakly. She just sighed. "Is there anything I can do for your sweetie?"

"Stay..."

"Mama's not going anywhere sweetie, I promise. She just wants to know if there's something else she can do besides sit and watch."

"Stay...just stay..." she sighed weakly as she tried to keep her eyes open now.

"Alright. If you want me to stay here with you I'll do that. Anything for my sweet daughter," Blair replied.

"I love you mama," she muttered weakly.

"I love you too sweetheart," she said in as caring a manner as she could muster, before leaning over to kiss Maka on the forehead.

* * *

><p>"Easy now sweetie," Blair said as she eased her "daughter" into the bathtub of lukewarm water.<p>

It had been a good many hours since the charade had begun and Maka's fever wasn't going anywhere. Even with wetting her down and giving her a number of ibuprofen it just wasn't helping, so now it was time for sterner measures. Soul had filled up the tub and suggested the immersion to combat the burn, leaving her being the one to carry the poor girl in and actually get her ready; sick or not, if she found out about Soul seeing her undressed she'd kill him. With delicate fingers, a gentle touch and a clinical approach to the task that resembled professionalism she went about task of easing Maka out of her sweat covered clothing and setting them aside, before submerging her up to her armpits in the cooling water. Almost immediately she was shivering.

"It's c-cold," Maka replied at the sudden change in temperature. She'd gone from being hot and practically cooking in her own skin, to suddenly being chilled all the way through!

"I know sweetie, I know. But we've got to get your fever down, it's for your own good," Blair replied as she retrieved a new washcloth to wipe down her still red cheeks.

Maka did her best to suppress another shiver, nodding in response to Blair's statement, crossing her arms over her chest in an effort to retain some warmth. Ultimately though it was futile and all she could do was lean back and allow herself to be tended to.

"Mama?" she finally spoke up, turning her cloudy eyes towards Blair, "are...are you disappointed in me?" she asked hesitantly.

"Disappointed?" Blair asked in genuine confusion. Just where had that come from? "Now why would I be disappointed in you?"

"Because I didn't succeed in turning Soul into a Death Scythe. We got so close to doing it but we failed and had to start all over again..."

"Aw sweetie of course I'm not disappointed in you. I was a lot older than you when I finally got papa-san to Death Scythe status, it's nothing to be ashamed of. The fact that you got so close as young as you are says a great deal about your own personal skill," she told her. Maka smiled in response, giving her reason to smile as well. "Besides Soul-kun told me about so many other great things you've actually succeeded at doing. Who could possibly be disappointed in a daughter like you?" She asked.

Despite feeling so miserable right now the kind words gave her reason to smile, reassuring her that she wasn't a disappointment. Unfortunately the emotional uplift of the moment had done nothing to change the circumstances she found herself in, and it was only a short matter of time before she began shivering again as she sat in this water that was too damn cold for her. And it wasn't long after that before the shivering turned into full body shaking and teeth chattering as her body desperately tried to warm itself back up.

"Mama I'm f-f-freezing," she stated, finding it hard to get the words out properly.

Blair sighed as she watched the poor girl suffering. There was so much wrong she didn't even know where to begin. Let Maka suffer the fever or have her tough out the perceived freezing from the remedy? Neither option was particularly desirable, and it was questionable which would be the lesser of two evils.

"Alright," she finally said and pulled the drain to the tub to let the cold water out. They would have to find some other way to deal with Maka's fever. Now she had to get the towels ready.

* * *

><p>The sheets were soaked in sweat from Maka laying on them so long; so much so that they had managed to seep through to the bed pad; there was no way in hell she could go back to laying on these. Soul hadn't even hesitated to switch out the old linens for new while the bed was unoccupied. He hadn't even waited for "Kami-san" to tell him to do it.<p>

He had never seen Maka in such bad shape before, and they had fought a lot of opponents that could put them in bad shape. Sure he had to support her in getting her back to their shared apartment, it wasn't the first time. They had been beaten to hell more times than he could count in the collecting of 99 wicked bastard souls -to say nothing of the trouble they'd had with Medusa, Arachne, that werewolf, the Kishin and a myriad of other wicked bastards- but they'd always managed to survive it all. However the seriousness of the current situation hadn't really sunken in until he had witnessed Maka struggling with all her might just to push herself upright into a standing position for her bath, only to promptly collapse against Blair immediately afterward. Seeing her in such a weakened state had shaken him up something awful.

Right now it was his turn to watch over the sleeping Maka while Blair got her share of dinner and tended to certain pressing matters. However there really wasn't much to do other than just sit and watch, and wait in case she woke up. A situation like that naturally gave rise to thinking about other matters in an effort to better make use of time.

As he watched on he couldn't help but think about everything that had happened. Blair had shown incredible depths of character in taking care of Maka, assuming the role of her mother and doing everything she could to make her just a little less miserable, and all without complaining. He hadn't had the patience to put up with her fussiness earlier on; but then again he hadn't been mistaken for Kami-san. Maybe that played a part. Or maybe it was just a woman thing.

The fact that Maka was currently asleep -dressed in her yellow pajamas and tucked into bed with a sheet at least covering her- suggested that the bath had helped at least a little, even if it had been miserable the whole time by subjecting her to what she perceived to be freezing cold water. They really needed to invest in a proper thermometer or something.

"At least she ate," he mumbled to himself, remembering how the cup of hot soup he'd offered once the bath was over was readily accepted; if for no other reason than because she thought it would help take the chills out.

"Get feeling better, Maka," he told her and placed a hand on top of hers under the covers.

"She will, Soul-kun, she will," Blair said as she walked back into the room without even alerting him.

He wanted to comment rudely on Blair surprising him like that, but compared to everything else she'd done to him at times it wasn't all that extreme so he just let it go. Right now there were more important things to tend to.

"Blair?" he spoke up, "have you thought of what you're going to say if Maka asks about where her mother is and can't find her anywhere?"

"Not really..." she said, shaking her head as she took up a seat on the opposite side of the bed, "maybe she'll forget what happened while she was delirious?" she asked hopefully. The look on Soul's face suggested it wasn't a very likely option, making her nervous, "Blair'll figure something out..." she laughed nervously and scratched the back of her head.

"Hope so," was all he had to add as he went back to looking at Maka's prone form.

Blair too took to watching as Maka slept, her breathing more steady and even than before, her face not nearly as flushed as it had been. Compared to the many hours previously she almost looked serene now.

"Sleep well, Maka-chan," Blair told her.

Whether or not Maka heard her was something they'd never know. However there was a mumbled "mama" that followed. Blair just smiled as she knelt down next to her.

"Mama's here sweetheart. And she loves you very much, always remember that," she told her and gently kissed her cheek.

Soul had nothing to say as he watched Blair work at soothing whatever might've been forming with Maka as she rested. Truth be told he had nothing constructive to add so he wisely refrained from saying anything. There was really nothing that _needed_ to be said right now and anything he could add would likely just ruin the moment before him. As it was now it was a scene of genuine and selfless concern for an ill friend, being handled by people who cared the most.

And quite frankly that was all it really needed to be right now.

* * *

><p><strong>This was not an easy story to do. There are two things I set out to do in writing this one. First I wanted to put into detail what it's like to experience that delirious feeling we've all had at some point in our lives when we were sick. And second I wanted to give my own thoughts on what goes on in the lives of the Soul Eater cast. Neither of these tasks would be considered easy and more than once I almost chucked the whole thing out of frustration. Despite my best attempts I couldn't generate the exact feel that I wanted for the flow of things.<br>**

**The idea wasn't to undermine Maka's strength of character and turn her into a helpless little girl. Rather it was to show what might be a character possibility should she ever become ill with a miserable sickness. There's not a tough individual alive who hasn't at one point or another been reduced to such a state at least once in their lives.**

**As to Blair's character the damn cat is an enigma. We all know the playful sexy kitty Blair who's often getting Soul or somebody else in trouble with her antics, but beyond that we don't know anything about her. We know from the manga and the anime that she and Maka generally seem to get along with one another, but just how well is up for debate.  
><strong>


	3. Goodnight

**Goodnight**

One thing Maka was known for doing well was thinking about important matters. Whether it was during class at Shibusen or relaxing with a good book she was always thinking. As she sat on the bed, drying her hair after a refreshing shower, her mind was hard at work going over the details of the day as they had been experienced and the circumstances that had lead them here.

Being a meister at Shibusen was a highly honorable and even sought after position to hold as far as she was concerned. Meisters and their weapons did much good in the world, keeping the people safe from those who had strayed and craved power enough to take it from others. Every time they were dispatched to claim a Kishin egg they were saving countless others from suffering in unspeakable manners. The amount of good that they did every single day was beyond measure and that fact made her smile.

However even the best of tasks had the eventual downside. For all the good that they brought to the world it wasn't exactly what would be considered a walk in the park, sometimes it was very difficult to do their duty. Sometimes a proto-Kishin was hard to find and it required an extended stay in their assigned location to actually find them. And sometimes those extended stays exposed them to unfavorable conditions beyond their control; such as a torrential downpour that completely ruined whatever effort they would make to find their quarry. Such was their fate at this time.

She and Soul had been dispatched to a small town in the state of Georgia to slay a proto-Kishin. At first it sounded simple enough; show up, find out whatever information could be had from the locals, track down their target, neutralize said target, claim the corrupted soul and return home. However it was anything but. Apparently some of the locals had been attempting to handle the problem themselves with armed posses, trying to track down the proto-Kishin and dispatch it like a wild animal. And while that definition wasn't too inappropriate their actions had simply driving their quarry into hiding and would likely result in retaliatory measures if they didn't reach it soon enough.

Not that their efforts at self-sufficiency weren't appreciated, but there were just times that professionals had to be called in to deal with the problem in a proper and efficient manner. Unfortunately their attempts at handling the problem themselves is what landed them in this current mess. In their attempt at hunting down the proto-Kishin they had found themselves caught in a sudden rainstorm that supposedly Georgia was famous for. It wasn't a normal burst of rain that could simply be waited out, rather it was more appropriate to call it a monsoon where sheets of water and even occasional hail was being dropped on them. They had no choice but to call off the hunt for today and fall back to shelter, which is in this case a cheap quality motel that would serve as lodging for however long it took to get done with their assigned task.

She had been the one to make the arrangements when the circumstances demanded it, booking them each a room with a single bed and most definitely a shower. Shinigami-sama would see to it that they were reimbursed for their expenses, but having not anticipated an overnight stay the on-hand funding was limited, necessitating the cheap setting.

That was exactly what had lead them to finding themselves in their current predicament. That was why she had been in such need of a hot shower to try and wash the frustrations away after a long and unsuccessful day. That was why she was thankful each of them always packed a change of clothes in their day bags when they headed out.

She was lost in her thoughts when there was a knock at the motel room door. "Who is it?" she called out, wondering if it was Soul or if it could be somebody else; maybe one of those yahoos that thought they could bag the proto-Kishin with their deer rifle. Before she could even try and detect just who's soul was on the other side of the door there was a response.

"Maka-san, can I come in?"

At this Maka let out a sigh. It was the cat-witch Blair of all people.

It was standard procedure for a meister and their weapon(s) to be dispatched to handle a mission. It was only under rare circumstances that anyone else went along. Normally only the most dangerous of targets warranted an escort from someone that would constitute either a Three Star meister or a fully-fledged Deathscythe. She could have stood either one of them being dispatched with them, but instead it had been Blair that had come with them; and not even in an official manner. Rather she had been bored senseless in Death City, and upon seeming them leave she had followed along on one of her flying pumpkins in much the same manner she had after they had claimed one of her souls. And despite all of their attempts they couldn't make her turn around and leave them the hell alone. Like it or not she was with them the whole time, either in cat form or human form.

There had been one very slight silver lining to having the cat-witch with them though, loathe as she was to admit it. When she had attempted to book them these miserable rooms the desk clerk hadn't even taken them seriously and told them to leave, treating them like they were children. It was only with Blair's presence that they had managed to get lodging for the night. As much as they hated to admit it, they owed her this time...

"Come in Blair," she replied tiredly. Blair didn't need to be told twice before making her way into the room, still dressed in her black leather attire that looked like a combination biker/stripper getup, showing far too much cleavage as far as she was concerned. "What's up?" she asked.

"Well...I was wondering if I could ask you something?" Blair asked.

"...What is it?" Maka asked. The "Maka-san" title had he wondering if she wanted something.

In the time she had spent around the woman she had learned that anytime she broke out the titles of respect, the third person manner of reference, and started acting cutesy, it was when she usually wanted something. If Blair wanted to pester her for money because she wanted to buy something she was going to be in so much trouble. They barely had enough money for their lodging and food as it was.

"Well..." she started hesitantly, glancing from side to side as if she was expecting something to come out and get her, "could Maka-san sleep with Blair-chan tonight? Please?" she asked.

Blair had asked for a lot of things in the time they had all come to know each other. Some things were reasonable, others weren't, and then there were some things that just had to be for the sake of shock value. But this was one she had never expected before. It took several seconds to comprehend what she had asked, before a flat "What?" was delivered in response.

"Blair-chan wants Maka-san to spend the night in her room with her," she replied.

"Why?" Maka asked, not sure she liked where this was going.

"Well...it's unsettling here. Blair's a kitty and doesn't like the rain, remember? And it's raining pretty hard out," she explained, "please?" she pleaded again, interlocking her fingers in front of her in an attempt to look cute and sincere.

"You're afraid of a little rainstorm?" she asked in disbelief. It was raining out, it was hardly the apocalypse out. How could Blair be so immature as to be unsettled by something that was so natural?

And then there was a flash of lighting and a particularly loud clap of thunder just overhead. Even _she_ jumped at that sudden development.

"Please Maka-san?" Blair asked again, more desperate than before.

She didn't say anything despite Blair's best attempts at pleading and begging. She just sat there quietly, looking deep in thought for the longest time. Finally after a long time she stood up and slipped back into her shoes before taking hold of the pillow that was on the bed.

* * *

><p>"Let's get something straight," Maka said after locking the door to her room and following behind Blair, "you're going to wear something to bed and you're sleeping under the covers, I'm sleeping over them.<p>

"Okie-dokie Maka-san," Blair said cheerfully, practically skipping the short distance down the walkway back to her room, cracking open the door and letting her enter first.

Maka was sure she was going to be regretting this later on. The notion of sharing a room with Blair -a room with only the one bed, and a carpet she wouldn't touch with her bare feet- for the night didn't set well with her. However it wasn't until the door was shut that she realized fully that it was just the one bed; a single bed to be precise.

"Blair, how are two people supposed to share that?" she asked, gesturing at the way too small bed in the middle of the room.

"Magic, remember?" she giggled. Maka could only watch as Blair walked over and recited her pumpkin-themed incantation over the bed, and then watched as it grew outward until it and the coverings were easily twice as wide as they were originally. "Do you want the right or the left?"

"It doesn't matter," she replied tiredly. All she wanted to do right now was turn in and make the night go as fast as possible so she could get out as fast as possible.

"Does Maka-san wanna play games with Blair-chan before going to bed?" Blair asked.

"Maka-san wants Blair to stop talking in the third person because it's getting annoying," she mumbled in response and claimed the left side of the bed for herself by placing her pillow there and flopping herself down on it.

"Okay..." Blair said quietly. She watched as the younger girl did her best at making herself comfortable, before going over and turning down her side of the bed for the night, "do you want a blanket?" she asked.

"No," she mumbled.

"Can Blair...can I say one more thing before you go to sleep?"

Maka looked up from her pillow out of the corner of her eye, tired and annoyed and wishing her roommate for the evening would just let her rest so this day could be over. But it didn't look like that was going to happen. Sighing she pulled herself up into a sitting position she looked at the woman critically, debating whether it was the effort to verbally ask what the question was, or if she should just glare it out of her.

"I feel better now, having somebody here to be in company with during the storm," she said in a soft voice and a sudden shift in character, "thank you."

Hearing what Blair had to say, she really didn't know what to think about everything right now. She thought that she had the cat-witch figured out, but then this got thrown into the mix. She sighed, a mix of tiredness, frustration and many other things. "You're welcome Blair," she said in as nice a voice as she could muster right now given the circumstances, "can we _please_ go to sleep now?"

"Anything you want," Blair replied before going over and shutting off the dim light to the room. It was easy enough to find her side of the bed and climb into it, making herself comfortable underneath the covers, "goodnight, Maka-san," she whispered.

"Goodnight Blair..." Maka mumbled through her pillow, already halfway asleep and more than prepared to surrender the other half.

There was a lot left that _could_ be said in this situation given the circumstances. However it was nothing that really needed to be said. In the end it was better to just leave things as they were. With that fact in mind, and the fact that there was another person nearby to take her mind off the storm outside, she believed she could sleep too. Maybe it wasn't the most friendly of arrangements, but that could always be worked on later.


	4. Roommates

**Roommates**

Thirteen months. That was how long Maka had been working to transform Soul from being a normal weapon into a Death Scythe that would eclipse her father by leaps and bounds. Thirteen months of tracking down corrupt souls and harvesting them. Thirteen months of traveling the country. Thirteen months of viciously fighting against being bound and determined to become Kishins in their relentless quests for power. Thirteen months of hard works...and that had all been shot to hell by one little cat with unbelievably high levels of magic!

They had spent three days tracking, hunting and attacking Blair, who they had plenty of reason to believe was a full fledged witch, and when they finally caught her and took possession of her soul, what did they find out? That she wasn't a witch at all! They still couldn't believe it, how was there a distinction between a person that practiced witchcraft and an animal with an insanely high level of magical endowment? According to Shinigami-sama there was a difference between the two; enough of a difference that all of the 99 souls they had gathered were subject to confiscation and forcing them to start over. Thirteen months down the damn toilet!

By the time they got back to their shared apartment they were both exhausted, mentally by the fact that they would have to start over on their work again, and physically from all the effort it took to lose Blair. It was only after riding around aimlessly for many long hours that she finally gave up in her pursuit and disappeared from their sight. At which point they promptly headed home and just about collapsed on the first piece of comfortable furniture they found. Tomorrow was going to be a very long day.

* * *

><p>Neither one of them had gotten a good night's sleep. Nor had they woken up in a particularly good or energetic state. They met in the hall as they dragged themselves out of their respective rooms, trudging their way to the kitchen. Breakfast was going to most likely consist of cereal, toast and milk, and whoever wanted to eat was going to have to get it themselves or just go without.<p>

"I never wanna see that cat again," Soul grumbled.

"Me neither," Maka agreed.

Unfortunately their wishes were not to be considered. As they reached the kitchen they were met with a sight of Blair sitting at their table like she owned the place, looking particularly happy when they came into her sight.

"Morning you two!" she called cheerily and waved to them from the table, "did you sleep well? I brought coffee, and doughnuts!" she said as she held up a cardboard box with the Deathbucks Coffee logo on the front.

"Blair what the hell are you doing here!" Maka shouted, finding a sudden burst of energy in her outrage and excitement over the intruder in their kitchen.

"I just came by to see how you two are doing. You know, make sure there are no hard feelings, that's all," she replied as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

"No hard feelings? You ruined my chance at becoming a Death Scythe and the coolest guy at Shibusen!" Soul shouted, already trying to plot how to get rid of her.

"And you two attacked Blair without provocation because you got your information wrong," she pointed out in response, "we both did things that we probably shouldn't have. What say we just bury the hatchet?" she proposed.

"Bury the hatchet? You tried to kill us last night and every other time we met up!" Maka shouted.

"Kill you? Blair wasn't trying to kill you, she was just having some fun with the two of you, that's all," she tried to reassure them, "my magic is _really_ strong even if I'm just a cat. If I'd really wanted to kill you both of you would've been dead when you interrupted my bath. I just got carried away because I was having so much fun playing around."

"You said you'd take Soul after I was dead!" Maka replied.

"And Soul-kun said he was dumping you for me because I've got a better body. However he's still with you," she pointed out, "just because somebody says something doesn't mean they're actually serious about carrying it out."

Neither Soul nor Maka knew what to think or even say. Blair was so annoying that it defied even basic explanation. While there were few things they tended to agree on, screaming and pulling their hair sounded like a very good idea right about now.

"The coffee's gonna get cold if you just keep standing there. Come on you two, sit down and have some breakfast," Blair told them, emphasizing the point by moving the box that was currently resting on the table.

Blair was obviously not going to take "no" for an answer. She had managed to find their apartment, get in without disturbing a thing, and had waited for them to wake up, all while bearing gifts in the form of expensive coffee and danish; and all after they had basically killed her and stolen one of her souls last night. And despite everything she was still cheerful and happy in appearance, looking like she bore them no ill will over anything that had happened in the past few days. There didn't seem to be anything they could do to actually come out on top of this matter. Even if they attacked her right now there was no guarantee they'd win, and there was nothing stopping her from appearing again even if they took her current soul. With a defeated sigh from the duo they approached, Soul sitting down at the table first, followed by Maka about two seconds behind. Blair just smiled in response, pushing the box closer so they could take whichever cup of coffee they wanted and have their pick of the available doughnuts.

"Any bagels in there?" Maka asked as she opened the small creamer packet to add to her cup of coffee.

"Doesn't look like it," Soul replied as he withdrew a cruller, "although there's what looks like a raspberry jelly doughnut in there if you want it."

Maka looked in the box to see what was available, before finally grabbing the mentioned jelly doughnut. Blair just smiled and selected a doughnut of her own to munch on.

"No hard feelings?" Blair asked. The response received was mumbled and less than enthusiastic, but it did sound like they agreed. She smiled again, "so what's on the agenda for today?"

"School," Maka replied, "we've gotta submit a report to Shinigami-sama after last night's unfortunate incident and explain what happened."

"There's gonna be a lecture involved. There always is," Soul grumbled.

"Speaking of last night I never did get an answer. With everything that happened were either of you seriously injured?" Blair asked.

"Fortunately not any worse than we have been on any of the other missions we've carried out in the past. Nothing that's kept us down before," Maka replied. Whether or not Blair's concern for them was genuine was something she couldn't determine. But then again why would somebody who was your enemy show up the next day with coffee and doughnuts as a peace offering? If she still wanted Soul then poisoning them would've been too risky since there was no guarantee as to who would take what.

There was a long pause in the conversation, occupied mainly by everyone eating or drinking. Finally it was Blair to speak up again, much to their chagrin. "Could Blair ask you two a question?" she asked. And before either of them could get an objection out she continued, "can she live with the two of you?"

"WHAT!" the two of them asked, shocked both by the question presented and the obvious audacity she had to ask it in the first place.

"Well you two are very interesting people and you're both so much fun to be around, especially when you're together. And it's so lonely where Blair lives and she just wanted to know if she could live here instead," she explained.

Soul shot up out of his chair, ready to launch into a full blown tirade filled with an excessive level of profanity in objection to the very notion. However even before he could get a word out he was promptly silenced by Maka's fist connecting to his skull. "Living arrangements are determined by the Shibusen Housing Authority, it's not just a matter of living where you want to. These apartments are legally considered off campus housing for students. They'd have to clear it before it could be allowed," she explained calmly.

"So if they say yes Blair can move in?"

"We'll see," Maka said before finishing her coffee, "thanks for breakfast but we need to get ready for school now. We'll talk later."

"Okie-dokie Maka-chan, Soul-kun," she replied excitedly, earning an annoyed look from the both of them.

* * *

><p>"Shibusen Housing Authority, that's a good one," Soul replied as he walked along with Maka on the way to the academy, "you're just passing the buck to a nonexistent group so she won't be mad at us, right?" he asked.<p>

"Of course. You can't get confirmation from something that doesn't exist, and without that confirmation she can't move in and it's not our fault and she'll have to leave us alone," Maka replied.

"I tell ya, Maka, you're a real genius at times. I never would've thought of something like that," he told her.

Maka had to bite her tongue to not respond to something that had to obviously be bait for an argument. And as much as she would like to give Soul some lumps for not thinking things through and adding to the problem, now was simply not the time. Instead she had to be figuring out what she was going to say to Shinigami-sama when she made her report on last night. As the meister it was her responsibility to see to it. Although if she could she would readily send Soul in her place instead.

* * *

><p>"Shinigami-sama," Maka said nervously as she stood in the main structure of the Death Room, bowing out of respect and waiting to be addressed, wondering in the back of her mind where her father was at the moment.<p>

"Ah Maka-chan, come in, come in, come in," Shinigami-sama replied in a friendly manner, "how're you doing? What brings you here so early in the day before school starts?" he asked.

"Well...I've come to apologize in failing our latest mission. Soul and I failed at gathering a witch's soul. I'm very sorry," she explained, all the while keeping her head down.

"I'm aware," Shinigami-sama replied simply at her statement, "I'm sorry all your hard work was wasted. I know how much time and effort you put into trying to make Soul into a Death Scythe like your father," he told her.

Part of Maka hoped Shinigami-sama would be sorry enough to not force them to start all over again, but the rational part of her mind knew that wasn't possible. They were students of Shibusen, carrying out the assignments they were given just like at any other school. Their assignment had been to capture a witch's soul and they had failed that mission. And when you failed an assignment at school they were consequences; such as the confiscation of 99 Kishin egg souls and having to start from the beginning.

"H-how much trouble are we in?" she asked nervously.

"Well this is a very serious issue Maka-chan. Failing to obtain a witch soul is something all meisters and their weapons must face the possibility of. However it's rare for those who have failed to actually live to tell about it since most of them wind up being killed in the process. You and Soul-kun are both very fortunate to have survived your encounter even if it wasn't with a genuine witch," Sinigami-sama replied, "however you two did fail an assignment and thus there must be consequences for your actions," he continued, "on the other hand, considering the circumstances surrounding everything I think you've suffered enough punishment by simply having to start over again."

"S-Shinigami-sama?" she looked up in surprise.

"Maka-chan, forging a Death Scythe is no easy task. Even your mother had trouble when it came to your father. It takes a great deal of work and dedication to succeed. It's not unheard of for it to take years to succeed. The fact that you and Soul-kun came so close at your age, without even being able to successfully perform your Soul Resonance, speaks volumes for the quality of your work and your level of dedication. You should both be proud of yourselves," he told her.

"T-thank you, Shinigami-sama," she said happily, trying hard not to let out the relieved sigh that desperately wanted out right now. She had been expecting so much trouble for failing a mission.

"Now then, is there anything else you'd like to talk about since you're here?" he asked her.

"Um..." she paused, thinking about everything that had happened, "well Shinigami-sama, now that you mention it...you remember Blair?" she asked, he nodded, "she showed up at our apartment today, actually asking if we were alright like she was concerned about our well being. She actually brought us coffee and doughnuts for breakfast and acting like the friendliest person ever. She...she asked if she could live with us."

"Oh?" he asked as his mask tilted sideways, "so what did you say?"

"Nothing yet. I wanted to ask you first. What should we tell her?" Maka asked.

"Are you angry with her over last night?" he asked her.

"...Not really. Like she said, mistakes were made on both of our parts. If we hadn't assumed she was a witch and attacked her none of this would have happened. We can't really be mad at her over what happened when we're equally responsible..." she explained.

"It's not my decision to make Maka-chan. Ultimately it's up to you and Soul-kun whether or not you have somebody else come and live with you. Whatever you decide I'm sure it'll be the correct decision, given the circumstances as you see them," he explained, "if that's all you might want to head back. Don't wanna be late for class now, do we?" he asked.

"Oh! No Shinigami-sama, thank you," she replied, bowing again before turning around to head back out of the room.

* * *

><p>"You've been quiet all day, Bookworm, did Shinigami-sama chew you out over what happened?" Soul asked as he and Maka headed home for the day. All day long she'd been silent, looking deep in thought -moreso than usual- and it was getting to him.<p>

"Not really. He gave me a lot to think about but he didn't yell about anything," she replied as they came to the door to their apartment, "do you think Blair is still in there?"

"I hope not," Soul grumbled and unlocked the door. His hopes however were dashed by the sight of a certain purple haired woman.

"Welcome home you two!" Blair greeted them excitedly, before turning her attention to Maka with wide eyes, "did you speak to the housing authority people? What'd they say? Can Blair stay with you two?" she asked.

Soul had to fight to not start laughing. With Maka's plan they would soon be rid of this annoying kitty once and for all. All he had to do was stand back and watch everything fall into place.

"The...the Shibusen Housing Authority didn't reject your request to move in with us," Maka replied hesitantly. This was easily the truth of the matter. She could _feel_ the shock coming off of Soul as the words left her mouth, "and if you still want to live with us...Soul and I have no objection," she finished, her voice practically a whisper now.

"WHAT!" Soul shouted in response. What had happened to Maka's perfect plan for getting rid of this damn cat? "You can't be serious! You're gonna let this bitch kitty just move in with us?" he asked, only to be on the receiving end of a book to the top of his head.

"Can it, Soul!" she shouted back, "have you not been paying attention all day? Blair found out where we lived despite our best attempts to lose her, she got in with no trouble at all, she could've killed us in our sleep or poisoned us with the coffee and doughnuts, but she didn't do any of that! Do you really think telling her she can't live here is going to do any good?" she demanded.

Soul so badly wanted to reply to her. He wanted to have it out with Maka right here and right now. He wanted to rip into her for her opinion being so stupid. But deep down he knew he couldn't do that. What Maka said was right. What could they do?

"Fine..." he grumbled under his breath, before turning to face Blair again, "you can stay I guess..."

"Oh yay!" she replied and jumped for joy, before quickly grabbing the two of them and pulling them into a hug, one on each side of her, "thank you two so much! This is going to be so cool!"

"Don't mention it," Soul grunted, "seriously don't talk about it anymore..."

* * *

><p>Dinner was simple that evening, and that meant there wasn't a lot of cleanup to be had; which was just fine by her as she left it to Soul, she wanted to be alone with her thoughts at the moment.<p>

Unfortunately there wasn't much alone in the equation as Blair had followed her into her room and was currently sitting on her bed while she sat at her desk reading a book. It was creepy how she just sat there, watching her as she read. Her expression suggested that she was watching the more interesting thing in the world and would have no problem continuing to watch for hours without interruptions. At first she just tried to ignore it, but eventually she was unable to tune out the woman any further.

"Blair? Why're you watching me?" she finally asked as she turned around to face her.

"Because Maka-chan is such an interesting girl," she replied simply, causing Maka to actually blush at the statement, "plus you said Blair can live with you and Soul-kun. The least I can do is take an interest in what makes you two happy."

"Oh. Well...I mainly like to read, especially if it's a good book," Maka replied, "it's not really something all that interesting to see."

"Well maybe Blair can read with you," she suggested as she stood up from the bed and made her way over to the desk and peered at the book in her hands, "what're you reading anyway?"

"...Promise not to tell Soul?" Maka asked. Blair nodded her agreement, "fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm...I was just about to start a new one if you're still interested."

"Sure," she said as she knelt down so she wouldn't have to bend over, at the same time putting a hand on Maka's shoulder, "so where are we?"

"Right...here," she said, pausing long enough to read the final passage of one before pointing out the newest one, "it's a good one."

"Okay," Blair replied. However she didn't start reading with Maka. Instead she maneuvered herself into a position so that she could easily wrap both of her arms around the girl, greatly confusing her.

"Blair?"

"Thank you for letting Blair stay here with you, Maka-san," she replied as she held the smaller girl close to her for several more seconds, before turning loose of her.

To say the least Maka was confused by everything that had happened over the course of the day. She had no idea how this arrangement with Blair would work out, whether it was for better or worse. It would take time to figure out everything, but right now she was willing to give it a chance. Who knew, maybe this wold be beneficial to them all...


	5. The Club Girl

**The Club Girl**

Ever since the Chupa Cabra club had been opened to people of all ages it had never been the same. It wasn't uncommon to see one, two or even a dozen or more students occupying the club and enjoying themselves; at least as much as the club would allow, there were still certain things that weren't allowed with their younger patrons. But even though alcoholic beverages were restricted, and the staff was limited in how they could interact with those who were students of Shibusen, it was still a location that saw frequent traffic by the younger crowd. Although it did make it more difficult to get any real earnings some nights; soda pop and chips only went so far as the bills were concerned.

Tonight was no different really. There were a few adults present, a few kids, but with it currently raining out it put a dampener on the number of patrons they had.

The bartender, currently bored out of his skull, looked up at the sound of the club door opening to see someone coming in out of the storm and looking like they had just barely escaped getting soaked to the bone. Their latest patron was a young looking girl, long brown hair done up in a pony tail, wearing glasses with thick black rims, a white button up dress shirt, a black ribbon choker necklace, a short green pleated skirt, black stockings that seemed to disappear once they passed the skirt, and black tennis shoes, clutching one of the ugliest umbrellas he'd ever seen. Her entire demeanor suggested that she had to physically struggle to overcome the wind that was blowing outside.

"Hey," he spoke up, causing the girl to jump in surprise, "what'll you have?"

"Um..." she paused, not expecting such a question right off the bat, "iced tea if you have any. With a pinch of lemon and a straw if that's alright," she said in a very timid manner, now confused about just what to do with her umbrella. She eventually settled with just setting it down by the door.

"No problem there," he mumbled, going about preparing the requested drink before finally setting it on the counter.

"Thank you sir," she said weakly and reached out to pick up her drink. She sipped on it as she looked around the club with great curiosity, taking in the scenery. She had been so absorbed in her drink and everything around her that she hadn't noticed where she was going until after she bumped into someone. "Eep! Sorry, sorry, sorry!" she apologized quickly.

"Sorry, didn't see you there," the other person responded. When she looked at just who she had the unfortunately luck of colliding with she saw that it was one of the Chupa Cabra workers, "well aren't you a cute girl? What's your name?" she asked in a friendly manner as she hunched down to the girl's level to look at her at eye level, causing a noticeable blush to creep over her face.

"Um...my name is Kitsumi Hisugaya," she said and quickly bowed her head in a respective manner to the older woman.

"Blair," she replied, extending her hand for the other girl to take, who did after several seconds of uncertainty, "so what brings you here little one? Normally we don't get many people you're age here at this hour."

"Well I...I was coming in to get out of the rain for the time being," she said, glancing out the window as it continued pouring down.

"I can understand that. It's way too wet for Blair's tastes out there. This is the kind of weather where you just wanna sit by a warm fire and do nothing," Blair responded with a smile.

Kitsumi said nothing to this. She just stood there, absently sipping her tea as she looked up at Blair, a mixture of different things playing out on her face. "Your ears are...very pretty," she said timidly, almost as if she were afraid of the words being heard, "are...are they real?"

"Very much real," Blair replied and wiggled her ears to illustrate the point, before lowering her head to let the girl feel them to verify the point for herself. However when she didn't feel any touch, even after a number of seconds passed she looked back at the girl who was staring at her in a curious manner, "is something wrong?" she asked.

"Well...you kinda remind Kitsumi of her Oneesan. Her big sister," she whispered and took another sip of her tea out of nervousness.

"Oh really? What's your big sister like?" Blair asked.

"Very friendly, very pretty," Kitsumi replied. Her attention was torn, between Blair and the decor of the room around her, unsure of just what to look at or focus on, "um...can Kitsumi sit with you for a while? Until the rain stops?" she asked.

"Of course, that's what we're here for after all. Follow me," Blair replied, finding it really hard not to smile. She lead Kitsumi over to one of the plush couches of the club and gestured for her to sit, before sitting down next to her.

Despite having asked to sit with Blair Kitsumi seemed incredibly shy now that it was happening. She was trying very hard not to stare at her, her cheeks red as she nervously sipped at the rest of her tea.

"Are you new to Death City?" Blair asked, seeing that it might be necessary for her to strike up the conversation.

"Y-yes. Papa-san, mama-san and Kitsumi moved here just recently," she nodded.

"What about your big sister? Did she come along too?"

"No," she said and shook her head slowly, "Oneesan is attending college in another location far away from here..." she explained, a look of sadness at the last part.

"Oh..." Blair replied, before deciding to change the subject, "so are you a student at Shibusen?"

"N-not quiet. Papa-san and mama-san are still doing the enrollment process. But soon."

"So are you gonna be a meister or a weapon?" Blair asked.

"The family physician said Kitsumi is a demon weapon, but...Kitsumi hasn't been able to successfully transform herself even once, so she doesn't even know what she is..."

"Well I'm sure you'll find somebody to help you. The staff as well as the students are very nice people," Blair reassured her. Kitsumi just responded with a "hm" type noise as she finished her tea and set the glass on the coffee table in front of her, "have you made any friends in Death City yet?"

"N-not really. Everything is so new and different and Kitsumi doesn't know where to begin. She doesn't know anyone here and is still trying to find her way around town."

"That's too bad. The people here are very nice, I'm sure someone would love to be your friends," Blair told her, noticing as the girl scooted a little closer, "so what brings you and your family to Death City? Did they move here for you?"

"Papa-san got transferred here for business on promotion. Kitsumi's demon weapon status was just coincidence," she replied.

"That's a very fortunate coincidence," Blair pointed out. Kitsumi didn't respond with anything more than slight nod of acknowledgement, scooting a bit closer again.

She wasn't quite sure to do since Kitsumi wasn't adding to the conversation any further. She seemed to want to interact but her shyness was hampering that. All she really did after that last detail about her family was just sit there quietly, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs.

"Kitsumi, sweetie, you might not want to sit like that with a skirt on. People will be able to see your underwear," she pointed out. Kitsume let out a surprised meep and immediately threw her legs back down, hands in a flurry to straighten out her skirt. Blair tried so hard not to laugh. She was such an adorable little girl.

They both sat side by side silently for a while and Blair wondered just what would come next. Suddenly there was an electronic beeping noise coming from Kitsumi's watch and she seemed to fly into a panic as a result. "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! I'm gonna be late, I'm gonna be late, I'm gonna be late!" she exclaimed as she jumped off the couch and stood up, turning quickly to politely bow, "thank you for your time Blair-san but I need to get home immediately," she stated and made a mad dash for the door, before stopping to turn around, drop some money on the bar for her drink, grab her umbrella and run out of the club as fast as she could.

Blair didn't know just what the girl was worried about being late for, but it must be something very important for her to scramble out of there in such a hurry. She hadn't even had time to get out the club's usual "come back anytime" call before she was out the door.

* * *

><p>As it turned out that would hardly be the last time anybody saw Kitsumi at the Chupa Cabra club. Rather it was just the first in a long series of visits. For a period of two months after her initial arrival she seemed to show up two or three times a week, always asking for an iced tea with a pinch of lemon and a straw without fail. She had gotten to know the staff by name, but she rarely addressed them directly and continued to remain shy to everyone.<p>

Everyone except Blair that was. She was the one person that seemed to bring the girl out of her shell, even if just a little. Anytime Kitsumi showed up she would always look for Blair until she found her. If she were busy entertaining the other clientele -like Spirit Albarn for instance- she would sit at the bar, waiting patiently until she was free. Sometimes her watch would beep and signal she had to leave without getting to talk to Blair, in which case she'd sulk on her way out, only to return the next night and try again hoping for better results. When she was free she wouldn't hesitate to move to her location and greet her warmly, becoming more and more friendly around her. In time she had even become comfortable addressing her as "Oneesan", which had happened purely by accident one evening, but had continued deliberately since then. Blair in return would address her as "imouto" -little sister- and ask how her day was.

On some days she was greeted with the excited exclamation of "Oneesan!" followed by what was practically a flying tackle at Blair for a big hug. These were days when Kitsumi had big news about her day and was bursting at the seams to share it with the one person who qualified as her best friend. And Blair was more than happy to sit with her and hear her excitedly recall everything. There was the story about how she had finally transformed into her weapon state, becoming a massive kanabo club that was in stark contrast to her human form.

Unfortunately the next night she came with a story to tell it was to share the fact that nobody at Shibusen could yet wield her because they couldn't match her soul wavelength yet. She also couldn't perform a partial transformation as of yet, meaning she couldn't show off what she could do.

Other stories were more upbeat, like how she had finally made friends at Shibusen, or how her day had gone. On more than a few occasions when she had nothing to talk about she would ask Blair how her day was and listened as she recalled interesting details or what took place; at least the details she could share with somebody so young.

But regardless of what stories there were to be shared or who was telling them, Kitsumi would always sit with Blair on the same couch, slowly scooting herself as close as the woman would allow, sometimes spending the duration of her stay at the Chupa Cabra in silence but with a smile on her face so long as Blair was present.

And like clockwork every night without fail, as soon as the alarm on her watch would sound she would exchange pleasantries one last time, excuse herself and make a beeline for the exit. On more than one occasion the alarm was the only thing that would cause her to wake up should she ever doze off, her head resting on Blair's shoulder; she herself couldn't bring herself to wake her up as she looked so cute and at peace during her rest.

* * *

><p>"Have a good evening Kitsumi-chan. Come again!" Blair said as she waved to the girl, seeing her off for another evening.<p>

"You realize that's Death Scythe-sama's daughter, right?" Arisa asked after the girl had left for the evening.

"Oh I know it's her. I knew the first time I saw her in that getup," Blair replied.

It wasn't for a lack of trying on Maka's part to disguise herself that Blair knew it was her. She had taken a considerable number of steps to hide herself as somebody else. Besides the getup were the mannerisms and characteristics of speech she employed, the attempts at a shift in body language and such. But no matter what she might try Blair could always tell the truth; she could smell it. Maka's unique scent was always present, no matter how much she might try and shower afterward or beforehand, or what soap she might wash with.

"So if you know it's her then why do you keep letting her come in and pretend to be somebody else?" Arisa asked, confused by it all. Didn't Blair live with Maka or something like that?

"It wouldn't be nice of me to tell Maka-chan that all her effort at disguising herself was for nothing. If she wants to dress up and pretend she's a different person I don't see the harm in it," she replied.

She didn't have a clue why Maka felt the need to perform this charade. She also couldn't ask without spoiling whatever the girl had gone to so much trouble to arrange. As far as she was concerned if Maka wanted her to know the truth she would tell her. Until that time though she was content to just let the girl pretend and do as she wanted. After all it was her who had to do all the hard work. Along with the dress and new mannerisms she tried so hard to maintain, there were the stories she had to come up with -both at the club and at home- the change in pitch of her voice to make it higher; and there was even the issue of her watch with the alarm, always managing to go off at the same time every night, an hour before Blair's shift was supposed to come to an end, giving her time to get back home, changed and washed up to remove any trace of who she was pretending to be.

"Does she love you or something?" Arisa asked her.

All Blair did was shrug in response. Whatever the reasons were that Maka would dress up and try so hard to pretend she was somebody else, just to sit and talk with her, that wasn't exactly her place to question the girl on. What she did on her own time was her own business. Although if she were doing it purely for the hugs she got there were a lot easier ways to go about doing that.

She didn't get a chance to respond though as the door opened again and in walked the aforementioned Spirit Albarn. Blair just smiled.

"Business as usual," she stated.


	6. Nightmares

**Nightmares**

It was a loud piercing scream that had disturbed Soul's sleep this night, causing him to bolt up in bed and look around for the source of the noise, until his brain kicked in.

"Not again..." he groaned and covered his face with his hands.

It had barely been a two weeks since the battle with Arachnophobia. They had defeated the witch Arachne and claimed her soul, they had obtained ownership of Brew, and they had dismantled a massive organization that threatened the security of Death City, Shibusen and possibly the rest of the world. Along with that they had gained several reluctant but potential allies who may've been of use in future encounters. Many people would consider that as a success...until they realized the cost of everything.

Crona was still missing in action and unable to be found. Medusa had claimed Arachne's body as her own and gained access to her sister's considerable magic, making her a more serious threat than ever before. And Death the Kid was still captured by the latest enemy to make themselves known, and they had no clue of his location so they could launch a rescue mission.

And while that was bad enough all on its own it only got worse from there; Maka was just one of the many victims of the battle against Arachnophobia. Despite all of her skill, her abilities in Soul Perception and her Anti-Demon Wavelength, none of it could overcome the simple fact that Medusa had pointed out; she, like so many of the others on this mission, were children. And even the most talented and skilled of children were susceptible to so much.

Extending her Anti-Demon Wavelength to everyone in the area had prevented them from slipping into the field of insanity Arachne had spread. And while doing this was quite necessary, it was also quite taxing on her in her already weakened condition. Doing battle with Arachne and making use of the Black Blood for protection had only complicated an already compromised state. And this was before Medusa had betrayed them and impaled her with her vectors after taking over her sister's body and as a result her magic. In saving everyone else Maka had left nothing for herself and became vulnerable to the latent insanity around her, which Medusa had taken full advantage of.

In an instant and through use of her vectors Medusa had forcefully inserted a horrible knowledge into Maka's mind, filling her head with memories and images related to the experiments that had been carried out concerning Crona and the Black Blood, making her privy to everything that was unspeakable. Crona's suffering, the torture, Medusa's own uncaring approach and disregard for the life of her child, etc. everything had been laid out in a manner that had completely overwhelmed her and shaking her to her very core and as a result induced a traumatic episode in her. It had been so easy to reduce her to a screaming, crying mass of instability on the floor.

When all was said and one nobody at Shibusen, not even Shinigami-sama himself, knew of how to go about helping Maka recover from the traumatic revelation of just how cruel Medusa could be, both to her own child and anyone else that got in her way. While they could treat her physical injuries easily enough, there was nobody on the Shibusen staff that had the skill necessary to treat her mentally. It would take time to find someone with that ability. Until such time that they could determined with certainty that Maka's mental health wasn't in danger both her and Soul had been taken off all active duty and even relieved of all scholastic requirements. The search for Kid would have to go on without them.

That was only part of the problem. While she was awake, alert and able to concentrate Maka could forcefully suppress the images during the course of the day. But at night when she was exhausted and unfocused, when she was asleep the images would return again and plague her. Her dreams would become corrupted by the images and twisted into nightmares of unspeakable nature. Nightmares that more often than not would result in her being scared awake and screaming in absolute terror.

This was just such a night...

"Damn you Medusa," Soul mumbled as he climbed out of bed. If he ever ran into that witch again he was going to claim her soul too, one way or another. He made his way down the hall, nearly bumping into Blair who was just steps ahead of him, "three nights in a row," Soul grumbled.

"I know," Blair said tiredly as she reached the door first and was greeted by a familiar site. Maka sitting on her bed, terrified and gripping her face and unable to get a word out because she couldn't properly breathe. Without a word she made her way over to Maka's bed to grasp the girl firmly, "calm down Maka, just breathe," she instructed the girl as she rubbed her back. It wasn't until she heard a sharp, deep intake of air that she relaxed herself. On more than one occasion Maka had wound up choking because she couldn't seem to remember how to breathe on her own after a screaming fit.

Maka didn't respond as she slowly turned to look at Blair. All she did was tremble before reaching out with shaky hands and latching onto her as she began to cry. Blair just sighed as the familiar routine played out. Wrapping her arms around the girl, knowing all she could do was sit there and hold her until she calmed down.

Soul was silent as he watched everything play out. If it wasn't Blair taking care of Maka during these episodes it was usually him, if for no other reason than because he had been just a little bit quicker at getting to her room. In circumstances like this though he tended to take a position on Maka's other side, rubbing at her back in an attempt to get her to calm down. Still he made sure to grab the wastebasket in case Maka wound up being physically ill again.

"It's alright," Blair whispered as she stroked Maka's hair, doing her best at calming the poor girl down. She knew from previous experience that this might take a while, depending on the severity of the latest in a long line of experienced nightmares. However even she knew that it wasn't alright right now. Medusa had raped Maka's sense of reality and order in the world, leaving her exposed to things she shouldn't have to consider at such a young age. "Soul-kun, why don't you go back to bed, I'll stay with Maka tonight."

"No chance. Maka's my partner, and a cool guy doesn't leave his partner when they're in need," Soul replied. Truth be told he was so wound up from the wake up call he got he didn't think he'd be able to get back to sleep now. So whether he stayed here and helped or went back to his room the results would likely be the same.

Blair didn't argue with Soul's decision to remain. Truth be told she would appreciate the extra company right now as she waited for Maka's crying spell to end. As strong as she was the nights were taxing on her. She had stopped going to the Chupa Cabra club entirely for the purpose of looking after Maka, trying to help any way she could. But there was only so much either one of them could do, and on nights like these the time seemed to pass so, so very slowly. It seemed to drag on forever. But eventually like all other times the crying died down and gave why to quiet sobs and occasional shaking.

"There, there now. Everything's gonna be alright," Blair said as she patted Maka on the back just above Soul's hand. She could hear Maka trying to say something, however getting anything out proved to be difficult for her, "take your time, Maka-chan."

"Hey...I know what I said, but Shinigami-sama wants update reports about when this happens. I gotta go take care of it," Soul spoke up.

"That's fine Soul-kun, that's fine," Blair told him.

"I'll be back in a while Maka, promise," he said, before leaving the room in search of a mirror.

For what seemed like the longest time Blair just sat with Maka, gently rocking the sobbing, sweating girl. That was unfortunately the most she could contribute right now, despite her best efforts to help out; her magic simply wasn't suited for matters like this.

"Do you want something to drink Maka? Water? Soda? Tea? Warm milk?" she asked. Each time she could feel Maka shaking her head, indicated none of the above were something she wanted to have. "Is there anything I can do for you? Do you want some time to yourself?"

"No..." Maka finally said, barely above a whisper, moving only the slightest.

"I'm so sorry, Maka," Blair responded, not knowing what else to say in a situation like this. There really wasn't much that she could say right now.

Medusa was not someone to love even under the best of circumstances. Considering everything that had occurred recently she was even more hated than ever. Even Blair found herself despising the witch to new levels. If Soul had any plans for killing her then he would have to beat her to it, otherwise she would be having the honor of tearing that corrupt soul from its body with her bare hands.

"What say we get you into a nice warm bath and out of this sweaty pajamas? Are you up for that?" Blair asked her.

"Okay..." she mumbled.

* * *

><p>"This is very serious Soul-kun," Shinigami-sama said as he communicated over the mirror after receiving the latest report from the weapon. So far the outlook for Maka's well being wasn't good.<p>

"I know, Shinigami-sama, Blair and I are both doing our best to help Maka out but it doesn't seem to be of much use. There's only so much we can do and holding her while she cries isn't very constructive," Soul replied, "isn't there something we can do for her? Magic? Hypnotism? Arcane tomes in the restricted sections of the library?" he asked.

"Not a thing I'm afraid. Not yet at least. I've been trying to get in touch with all available contacts around the world to see if they know of anyone skilled in the type of counseling that she needs. Hopefully they'll get back to us soon with an answer," Shinigami-sama explained.

"A counselor? One of those kinds of people you just talk to? No supernatural skills or anything?" Soul asked, confused at the notion.

"Pretty much. You'd be surprised at the power of speech and what good it can do," Shinigami-sama told him.

"H-how is talking to someone going to help me forget?"

Soul turned around to see Maka clutching what looked like a change of clothing, standing there in the doorway and looking in his direction as Blair stood behind her, a supportive hand on her shoulder. In the relatively lit area of the living room he could see Maka looked even more like hell than he thought.

"Ah Maka-chan," Shinigami-sama said when he saw her and signaled for her to approach, "I'm afraid forgetting what Medusa forced you to experience won't be a possibility. The purpose of counseling is not to forget, but to learn how to deal with what happened and learn how to live with it," he explained.

"How is that even possible?" Maka asked, unable to comprehend the possibility of having to live with these horrible memories trapped inside her head.

"Maka-chan, I am so very sorry for what you've been forced to experience by Medusa, I truly am. Someone of your age should not have to experience such horrors," Shinigami-sama said in a caring tone, "in the more than 800 years that I've been alive I have bore witness to every possible abomination humankind is capable of committing. I wish I could say it's not the truth, but there are ordinary people who have done things that even Medusa's evilness wouldn't compare to," he explained and shook his head, letting Maka think on that thought for a moment, but not for too long, "it's not something that gets any easier with time. It's not something you get accustomed to, nor would you want to. To see someone suffering and feel nothing is not a trait anyone should have. All that any of us can hope to do is learn how to live with it as best we can."

Maka said nothing as she listened, all the while just standing there, her head hanging in a defeated manner as the words sunk in. She didn't want to think about having to learn how to live with these horrible memories of suffering trapped inside her brain for as long as she lived. But it seemed she didn't have much choice in the matter. If Shinigami-sama was certain that she wouldn't be able to forget, it was likely he had tried the same thing with his own experiences at one time or another.

"...Yes, Shinigami-sama," she replied quietly, not even bothering to look up from the floor.

"You do have one advantage working for you, Maka-chan. You're not alone in this matter, nor will you be. You have a wealth of friends that are ready to help you in any manner that they can. They have assured me that they'll aid you in whatever manner is possible," Shinigami-sama told her.

It was very brief and very small. But at his words there was the slightest hint of a smile trying to form on her face.

"Thank you, Shinigami-sama..."

"For right now though I must let you go. May your rest be undisturbed," he said, before closing the communication with them.

The three of them stood there for a period none of them were really able to gauge, all of them remaining silent, none of them really wanting to be the first to speak up. For Soul and Blair it was out of waiting to see what Maka would do.

"I...I'm...gonna take a bath now," Maka mumbled quietly, pointing in the direction of the main bathroom. She didn't even wait for a response from either of them before slowly walking off.

"Hey Maka," Soul spoke up, causing her to pause, "I don't know if Shinigami-sama's right, but if talking about something helps, you know you've got both our ears to bend. We'll listen."

"...Thanks Soul," Maka replied softly, taking some solace in the fact. She remained a few more moments, before moving to leave the room.

Neither one of them said anything once Maka left the room. Soul just sat back down on the couch while Blair decided to occupy a chair to the side. These late night sessions seemed like they were getting more and more difficult for them to handle. Not that they wouldn't drop everything to help Maka when she was in need, but they were woefully under prepared for just how hard this all was going to be.

"Blair?" Soul finally spoke up without turning to face her.

"Yes Soul-kun?" she asked.

"Thanks for being here. I don't think I could do this alone," he told her, now that Maka was out of earshot.

Blair didn't say anything in response to Soul's gratitude. Rather she stood up from her perch, walked over and pulled him into a hug. However this time it was a genuine hug rather than the more flirtatious variety he was constantly on the receiving end of. There was no groping, no marshmallow hell of being crammed between her boobs, nothing. It was more like the type of hugs Maka had both been giving and getting lately.

* * *

><p>"Medusa...you will pay for everything you've done. Not to me, but what you've done to Crona. For all the suffering you've caused to everyone," Maka growled as she soaked in the bathtub.<p>

She had managed to move from despair and numbness to anger since getting into the tub and just soaking. The initial shock of her nightmare had faded and now that it had her blood was starting to boil. Recalling the details of the unwanted nightmares had given her new reason to want to find Medusa, to unleash her mother's Majin Hunt technique upon her. Simply taking her soul would no longer be good enough, she had to suffer for everything she had done.

"Crona," she mumbled, "I'm so sorry for what happened to you..."

* * *

><p>"Are you sure about this?" Maka asked as she looked over the scene in the living room. Sometime during the course of her bath Soul and Blair had covered the couch in sheets and pillows, making it look like an improvised bed, each one of them sitting on one end and leaving the middle vacant; specifically it was vacant for her.<p>

"Do you really wanna try and go back to sleep at this hour, all by yourself?" Soul asked her, patting the spot in between them, "if you have another nightmare it'll be easier to get to you out here, before you scream yourself and everyone else awake," he pointed out.

"It's nice and cozy too," Blair added, patting the vacant spot as well.

Maka really wasn't sure what to be thinking right now. It was after three in the morning, she was tired, she was stressed out...and she was seeing a living example of what Shinigami-sama had said about people being willing to help her out. She didn't say much of anything at this point, rather she walked over and sat down in the provided spot on the couch. As soon as the did Blair draped a sheet over all three of them and the two moved closer to her, practically snuggling up next to her.

"Try and rest, Maka, we'll be here if you need us," Blair told her.

"...Thanks you two..."

She didn't know what the rest of the night would bring them; none of them could say for sure what the answer to that question was. Would there be more nightmares? Would there be peaceful dreams? Would there be absolutely nothing? Would they even sleep now? These questions and more were beyond their ability to answer. But for right now that was alright. Right now she was surrounded by friends that cared for her, friends that would help her through these tough times. Come what may she wouldn't be facing it alone, _that_ she was certain of.


	7. Prelude to a Hangover

**Prelude to a Hangover**

The defeat of Kishin Asura brought with it much reason for everyone to celebrate, not just in Death City and Shibusen but rather all over the world. The coming new year would mark the first true year that the world wasn't under the threat of Asura rising again to plunge the world into eternal madness. And while there was always the threat of another Kishin being born someday that was an entirely different matter and would be addressed in due time. For now everyone wished to focus on the positives that they had been blessed with.

"Easy now."

It was a night that had promised much celebration and excitement for all. However not everything went according to plan for everyone involved. While Shibusen would be hosting a lengthy celebratory evening on this night not everyone would be able to participate, such as one Maka Albarn who was currently being escorted into her apartment by Death the Kid, who was trying to keep her vertical and in the most symmetrical fashion he could muster. The evening may have been a swinging good time as far as some were concerned, but not so much for others.

"What's up Kid-kun?"

Kid had nearly dropped Maka and jumped out of his skin at the voice coming from behind him, only managing to get ahold of himself when he realized it was Blair. Turning to face her with Maka still clinging to him, he saw her perched on the top of a chair, her hat bigger than her whole furry body.

"Please don't scare me like that again," he told her and sighed. He briefly wondered why she was home instead of out and catting around, but he didn't think to actually ask right now.

"What's wrong with Maka-chan?" Blair asked, deciding to change the subject from a discussion about scaring Kid to his current companion.

"Father felt that the special occasion called for a special treat. In addition to the staff all students of outstanding quality were allowed to partake in some champagne. Most of them handled the matter well enough but it would seem Maka has no tolerance to alcohol whatsoever. After the first sip she was already showing signs of being tipsy, and as the night went on it just got worse until she couldn't even stand on her own," Kid explained, letting Blair figure out the rest.

"Ah, poor Maka-chan," Blair replied, "so how come you brought her home and not Soul-kun?" she asked.

"The situation as Shibusen is...chaotic. Black*Star when he's drunk is even more intolerable than sober and the last time I saw him he had a hold of Soul and was talking him up something awful. Crona volunteered to bring Maka home but even with Ragnarok assisting they didn't have enough strength to keep her off the floor. As for myself, being a shinigami like my father, alcohol and other toxins are insufficient for incapacitation purposes, leaving me the second most sober individual present and the only one who could walk straight and actually leave."

The explanation he had given had been only part of the reason he had been selected. After seeing how Black*Star was after downing more than his fair share of the champagne his father had felt he could be best trusted out of everyone present, along with being the only one who wasn't drunk and unstable.

Maka, who had been silent up until this point, hiccuped and giggled with a dumb grin plastered on her face, adding the perfect emphasis to a point Kid had been so delicately trying to make the whole time; she was a terribly cheap drunk and was more or less wasted. And right now he was unknowingly messing up the uniformity of his fancy shirt as she played with his buttons.

"Blair since you're here could you please look after her? I can't adequately take care of her and tend to the matters of asymmetry at the same time," he more or less pleaded.

"Sure Kid-kun," Blair replied, hopping off the chair and changing into her human form in a puff of smoke before even reaching the floor.

"Cool! Do it again!" Maka giggled in drunken amazement at Blair's trick.

Now it was Blair's turn to giggle at Maka's current condition. She might be a bookworm with little understanding of music and certain standards of social interaction, but she at least looked like she was happy right now.

"Sure thing Maka-chan. For now though why don't you let go of Kid-kun," she suggested.

"Aww," Maka whined, "but Kid is so cute and soft," she said and rustled his hair, causing him to freak out at the sudden loss of symmetry he'd been trying so hard to maintain.

"I-I've got to get out of here!" Kid stated as he began struggling against his friend. Even as Blair moved in to pry her off it still took a great effort to get loose. He didn't even give thanks before hot footing it out the door in desperate need of restoring the natural balance of his hair.

Blair didn't know whether to laugh or sigh. Teasing and all could be fun, but there was a fine line between being benign and doing it for malice. And Maka, who currently had her head leaning back as far it it would go to look up at her, apparently didn't know where that line was.

"Hey...where'd the little shinigami go?" Maka asked as she brought her head up to look around the room.

"My guess is home in search of a brush and a mirror," Blair replied as she readjusted her hold on Maka to get her in a more stable position. She really was a cheap drunk to be this uncoordinated.

"Aww," she whined in disappointment at her friend being gone.

"But I'm here," Blair reassured her.

"Yay!" Maka cheered and spun around to look at her, perhaps too much in the process as she wound up losing her balance and falling against Blair in an undignified mess.

"Easy now Maka-chan," Blair said as she grabbed hold of the girl to keep her from going all the way to the ground. Maybe it would be better if they sat down, it was a lot harder to fall to the floor when you were already on the floor, "how much did you have to drink at the party?"

"Um..." Maka thought, looking up with hazy eyes as she tried to remember the exact amount, "dunno. I think I liked it though. Tasted terrible but oh it was fun afterwards."

Blair tried her best to smile at her friend talking about having fun. She seriously doubted this alcohol-induced stupor would convince Maka to try and take up regular drinking, she was far too intelligent for that. In a way it was sad to see her believing she was happy from being intoxicated. However she was distracted from her own thoughts as she felt Maka more or less settling in against her chest like a comfy pillow without even a hint of embarrassment.

"Maka-chan?" Blair asked.

"Nice and soft..." she said with closed eyes and a content look on her face. Blair's chest was nice and cozy and the perfect place to rest her head as far as she was concerned.

"Heh. If Soul-kun could see us now," Blair giggled.

"Hmm?" Maka asked as she raised her head, looking around the room through half closed eyes, "I don't see Soul. Where is he anyway? I can't tell him I love him if he's not here."

"Huh?" Blair asked, caught by surprise by Maka's statement, "last I heard he was still at the party, at the mercy of Blak*Star."

"Oh," Maka replied, "I love Black*Star too. And Tsubaki, and Kid, and Liz and Patti, and Chrona," she continued, listing the numerous people that she loved, giving Blair the idea that she wasn't referring to the romantic kind of love or anything else beyond what was expected of kids her age. That was a bit of a relief, especially when she got to the part about loving Shinigami-sama, "and I love you too Blair."

"Eh?" Blair asked, "is that so Maka-chan?"

"Uh huh," she nodded, perhaps a little too vigorously as it made her dizzy, "Maka loves you very, very much," she said as she wrapped her arms around the woman's back.

"Blair loves you too Maka-chan," she told her and kissed her on the forehead. She really didn't see anything wrong with making the girl feel happy about something.

Maka smiled as she looked up at Blair upon hearing that. Blair almost immediately recognized that look from her time at the Chupa Cabra club. It was the kind of look one gave when they didn't have a full grasp of their senses due to inebriation and basically running free because they felt good and didn't care about the consequences of their actions. It was the kind of look that wound up getting so many people in trouble at times. Basically it was unchecked euphoria.

"Since you love me do I get a kiss then?" she asked with an honest interest in the subject.

Blair was a bit torn on Maka's question. She really wasn't opposed to kissing her friend if that was what she wanted, and it did sound like it would be fun to do, but the girl was drunk and not in her right mind and likely saying things she didn't fully understand. She was all for fun, but taking advantage of the girl in her current condition wasn't something she would do.

"You already did sweetie," Blair told her and stroked her dirty blond hair. It was far better to err on the side of caution in matters like this.

"...Okay..." Maka replied and shrugged her shoulders, before going right back to resting her head on Blair's chest.

This really wasn't a situation Blair had expected to find herself in. Under different circumstances she would've been out on the town and seeing what the various shops had to offer, maybe try and get a free fish from the local merchant who sometimes set aside merchandise for her. But on this night things had been closed down due to the occasion and instead she found herself tending to a little girl who seemed to be a very affectionate drunk; she didn't really think the little bookworm had it in her. And right now she was torn between just what to do in this situation.

"Did I really get a kiss?" Maka asked as she looked back up at Blair for a definite answer.

"Yes you did," Blair replied and stroked her hair some more. The look on the young meister's face suggested she didn't fully believe her. She let out a small sigh, placing her hand on the back of Maka's head as she leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead again, longer than last time so she'd have very little to doubt, "better?"

"Uh huh," she nodded.

"That's a good girl," Blair told her and smiled. Maka returned the smile before bursting into drunken giggles.

She didn't have an exact plan for just what to do with Maka, who at the moment was content to just rest her head against her chest without even the slightest hesitation regarding the act. She was uncoordinated and pretty uncooperative, but she honestly seemed to be enjoying herself right now. For Blair it would be child's play to get the girl ready for bed, but right now she wasn't sure she wanted to take that route. Maybe she'd just wait and see how things played out.

One thing though was for certain. Come tomorrow morning Maka was going to be in for one hell of a hangover, to say nothing of what Soul would be suffering whenever he got home. That was going to be a rather interesting day, she was sure of that.


End file.
